Metal desk or table.



E. UHNSTRAND.

METAL DESK 0R TABLE. APPLICATIONy FILED OCT. I0..I9I0.

Patented July 10, 1917.

il: 4flaillllllviillll lill INVENTOR IM/ A onNEY .E. OHN'STHAND.

METAL DESK 0R TABLE. APPucmoN man ocT. 1o; 1910 1,232,961. Patented July 1oy 1917 4 SHEETS- aw s wlTNEssEs ma' 971, MMM/ E. OHNSTRAND.

METAL DESK 0R TABLE.

APPucATloN man oc. zo. 1910.

Patented July 10, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 mvemo i (al/w M IIllx r f4 I9 E. UHNSTRAND.A METAL DESK 0R TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I0, 1910.

Patented July l0, 19I T.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOR ORNBV TTESI PATENT OFFICE.

mrocn omts'rnsND, or sYnacUsE, NEW Yonx, assI'GNon ro U. s. smnnmmmn comm, or inntacmss,y NEW Yoan, a conronurron or :mw rotan.

METAL DESK on TABLE.

Application `letl October 10, 1910. Serial No. 588,898,

T o all whom it may concern.'

Be it Aknown thatENocH OHNs'rRNm a citizen `of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of .Onondaga and State of New York, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Desks or Tables, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to desks or tables made of lsheet metan/said desks being con-` struct/ed therefrom wi h a top, drawers and legs, panels, etc., substantially the same in. appearance as the desks and tableI heretofore made from wood.

One object of niy invention is to join the.

various parts of the desk together with in4 terlockingI joints or `other mechanical` fasthereof.

tenin s so that when the Idesk is assembled comp ete it is extremely rigid and stable, at the same time dispensing with rivets, screws and other fastening devices separaterfronr the pieces themselves. y l

Another object of my invention is to make hollow many of the parts which heretofore.

have been` made solid in the wood artythns materially saving in the weight of' the desk.

Another object of my invention is' to construct the desk of parts that are made principally of sheet metal, which partscan be' cheaply produced `by punch presses and bending presses, the parts being so lmade that they wil] readily go together to make a complete finished desk with small expense for hand labor.`

Another object of my invention. is to construct the desk so that it can be readily knocked down `to a certain extent. making it possible thereby to pack it in a very muchy smaller crate than would otherwise be neces sary and leaving it also easily assembled by an unskilled or'inexperienced person.

Another object of my invention is to construct the various parts of the desk so that they may be readily assembled or disassembled without thcinse of tools.

These and other objects of my invention will he more fully set forth in the specification and pointed ont in the claims at the end In the accompanying drawings, l Figure 1 is a perspective view of the desk as it will appear when finished. .Fig. 2 is a front elevation of thedesk,

with the top omitted, lsho-wingthe drawers y in position on one side of the desk `and the drawers omittedfrorn the otherside of the desk.

f Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3"-3 of Fig. 2.

Specication ofLett-enatent. Patentiediuily 10, 1917. i f

ses l 7 are sideelevation, 1an

Fig. 12 1s a detail showing `the two side i `sections: of the desk placed end to end, with the` cover and back plate placed opposite them in the packing crate. Q

Fig. 13 is a vertical-transverse'section through the extended' drawer of Fig. 1, showing a portion of the desk in front elevation.

Fig. 14'is an enlarged detail ofthe upperi rigiit hand corner of Fig. 4.

- Fig. 15 is a vertical transverse section on the line 15"-15" of Fig. 3. v

Fig. 16 is a section on the line 16K-16K of Fig. 1.5. l i

Fig. 1,7 is a section on the line 17"--17 of Fig. 15. t

Fig. 18 is a section on the line 18x-*190i Fig. 15. i I Figs 19 and `20 are details of the plates vthat are interlocked by the joint shown- Fig. 18.

inoY

' Fig. 21 is a section-cn the line -21i-l--21iL of Fig. 2. ,A

In the accompanyingl drawings, like reference numerals refer to -like parts.`

In the-'present embodiment of the invention, the imgrovements are illustrated as applied to a s eet metal desk. This desk hassix legs thereunder, two at the back and four at the front, numbered 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 res ectively. It has Aalso a. top covered with eavy linoleum 8, laid on a steel' plate 9, the edges of which plate may be bent' down' and in, as shown at the top of Fig. 4

` and Fig. 14. The edges of the linoleum'top are nbeveled and the sheet of. linoleum is held in place by the angle irons 10, which are held in place b the 'bolts 11`I between which on all four si es of the desk the sheet of linoleum is securely clamped/ The upper edge of the angle iron 10 is turned in to the better engage with the linoleum and clamp it in place.V

The legs are made out to the form shown by the parts 2, 4 and indicated in. cross-section in Fig. 3, for the purpose lof connecting to the panels and the various other parts that enter into the struc- .tiire of the desk. As shown in Fig. 3, the V plate from which the' leg is formed is bent to a right angle along'the line of ,the leg that will be exposed at the' corners" of the desk when the finished leg is assembled therein.v It will also be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 3'that two of the flat -sides of the legs will be exposed in each case,

wh'ile a rtion of each of the other two sideswill)0 be moreor Vless concealed by the parts of the desk with'which it engages.'

The edges of the plate are in the case of the leg 2 turned in at right angles to the @.iposerlv si esvand are again bent in to the rentrant or channel form shown extending parallel to the exposed sides of the legs. One of the, sides of the legs 4 and 5 is bent in the' sameqnanner, rentrant, while the other side of each of these legs is bent in lil-stat right angles to ther exposed side, and then olitwardly, parallel to the exposed side, forming an angle instead of a channel. In each case the channel or angle described is formed on the edges of the legs, materially strengthsis enlng it so far as the stiffness-is concerned, and providing a convenient place on the leg in each case for attachment 'to the other portions of the desk. A

It will be understodd that the leg 3 will bathe mme as the leg 2, and that the legs 8 and 7 will. be the saine as the legs 4 and. 5, except that the shape and relation of thc parte will be symmetricallyrrversed from right to left, as the di'erence in their location in the structure of the desk requires. g

The outline ,or cross section of the legs shown in Fig. 3 in solid lines is such as will be used for that portion of the leg in each case vthat connects with or abuts against the bodyof the desk.,

.As will be seen in Fig. 1, the desk is provided with sanitary legs which are left hare V for ten or more inches above the floor, and

A a complete square,

at that part the sides of the legs are bent to preferably with a slight taper. Awith v their outer edges abutting, against each other, forming a seam, which seam is closed by fusing the metal with the well known oxygen acetylene llame. Intov the open end of theleg thus fonned .is forced a metal plug formed of sheet metal, bent or pressed or drawn tothe required shape, to

of sheet steel bent -tion with reference toV present a xbund surface to the floor on which 'A the desk may stand.

AIn Fig. 3 the bottom of the legs is shown in square outline by the full and dotted lines, while the inte ediate and upper portion of the legs is s own by the full lines in the case of eachof the legs 2, 4 and 5.

As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, each of the legs is left with ashoulder .'31, 51 on which rests the bottom plate 52 of the section. A s seen in Fig. 3, three corners of this bottom plate are carried on the shoulders of the re-l spectiveflegs. The intermediate portions of.

the plate lrest on and are supported vby anglesl formed on the bottom edges of the plates 17, 19 and 22. j

K In the leg 2 the i'entrant sides 12 and 1.3 are slotted atregular intervals as shown in Figs. 4 and l1.v The side 13 is perforated with the openings 14 ,and the side 12 is also perforated in like mannerl- Likewise the leg 4.has its side 15 perforated, such perforatiOnS appearing at 16 in Figs. '4 and l0. at regular intervals. The legs .2 and 4 are connectedbythe endl panel plate 17. 'This panel plate has struck up thereon the lugs 1 8 at intervals correspondin to the perforatlons in the sides13 and 15 a ve mentioned, so that by placing the plate 11 with the lugs thereon against the sidesv13 and 15 of the legs 2 and 4 respectively, and by giving to it. v

an edgewise movement, the ypanel securely locks itself to the legs. The side 12 of thc leg 2| is perforated in like manner and thc rear panel plate 19 is provided with lugs 20- which engage therewith in the same manner as the lu s 18 engage with the perforations in -the si es lil-and 15 of the legs 2 and l. Likewise the leg 5 is perforated on its side 21 in the 4same manner,and .the inner panelplate 22 has the lugs 23 formed thereon to engage therewith. In the leg 4 the side 24 is perforated :it siiitalileintervals 'at' 26 to receive the reduced ends 25 of the cross -i'iiils 2G which form the supports for tlie ends of the drawers 40, closing thei opening between the consecutive drawers in the desk. These cross rails are'bent tothe formA of a channel and may be'fmlled with a suitable `molding These lugs 25 may lic passed 'th rough to the interior of the leg and all' of the lugs 25 of all the cross rails pros jecting into the leg 4 may be locked or tied into engagement therewith by the rod 27 which is lugs. Shoulders are left on the cross rails 26 'which positively engage with the side 2 4, so that between such shouldersV and tic rods the cross rails 'are held securely in posi said legs.' Similar width to correspond .with 'the ic' passed down through all of said l cross rails 26'and 26" are provided at .the top as shown in Fig'. 4' between which is suported the front end of a shelf'90which can be 4drawn out and in. Each of thesecross rails has reduced ends that pass through and into the legsv Il and 5 and are fastened therel in by the' ins 27. These cross rails also have shoul ers that abut against the outslde of the legs, the shoulders and reduced ends openin being substantially the same as those shown in Fig. 23` in connection with the cross rails 2fi.-.. .The rear end of thc'shelf 96 carries a block that istoo large to pass through the between. the' channels 26 and 26".

The s elf is also supported on suitable guides or runways which hold it to lts proper movement.

They outwardly `turned side 28 of the leg 4 is cut away s at'29 at suitable intervals to receive theends of the supportin chan-V nels 29 with which the sides ofthe engage and inf which channels the'drawers i are free to move in and out.` Each of the channels .'29 has struck up from the VbackV thereof the lug 30 which 'engages at one end with the side 24 of the leg 4, and-'at the other Y end with the angle iron 31. This angle. iron by rivets or screws.

31 has an upturned edge 32 corresponding to the uptnrned edge 2,8 on'the leg 4 and' is'V recessed at suitable intervals to correspond therewith,l so`that the channels 29 enga g with s aid recesses `are between them dld horizontal. The angle 31 is fastenedat the bottom to the :ingle 33 and at the top to the, angle 34 in any suitable manner.' Thengle in turn is fastened tothe 'bottom fplate in any-.5' suitable manner, 'but preferably In Fi 18 I haveillustrated the form of interloc ing joint .that l prefer to use for the purpose of .eonnectingthe upright angle 31 andthe. horizontal angles 34 at the top and 13B-at -the bottom. As shown in Fig. 19,

, n #the horizontal'member has a lip Y67 struck up therein, leaving an opening in the plate adjacent thereto and partially covered there'- hy.. At the corresponding place in the yertical channely 3l a ing a similaropenin inthe plate partially covered thereby. 'Tese lips 67 and 68 are somewhat elastic, so that. by placing the plates adj aent :tol each other the lipsinay be' sprung sufliciently so that each passes into 'engagement Vwith the opening-inthe plate; left by the striking up of the other lip, thus ylocking each orf4 the plates in position -with` relation to the other plate. l

ln Fig. 18T have shown the channel'l and the angle v34 assembled and heldVto- Y 6.55"'substantally the sanieas legs except that gether by a joint ofgth'is kind. y. AV corre? spending joint is used for fastening-the angle 33 at the bottom -of 4the desk withy thel vertical channels. V As shown iii-Fig. 3,'the leg 5 is formedinto said ,anglesfrom curely fastening the top of the desk injplacc. r

- the desk,` an

the position and relation of the parts is reversed fro'm right toA left. i

The cross rails 26 have reduced ends engaging with the leg 5 similar to those. which enga e with the leg 4, and the cross rails lare astened to leg 5 by 'the-locking pin 27 as heretofore described. The channels 29 are also fastened to leg 5 in the same manner as are the corresponding channels fastened to the leg 4.

i The drawers of the desk are formed iu any suitable manner of sheet metal, thebody of the drawer being formed of asinglepiece,

Athe front Vand back ends. being suitably closed in any desired manner. The top edges of the drawer, as `shown in Fig. 13, are rounded'o' and 'bent'.out, and toavoid suitably cut away as shown at 29h. n

Each of the drawers A40 of the desk is provided with one or more channels 35011 each side thereof that engage withthe chun' nel or channels 29 and by which the 'drawers `are supported in the desk.

The`in`side panel 22 is turned' in,l in' its vrear end and fastened to-the panel 19 in any v suitable manner.

The opposite side ofthe desk from 'that illustrated in Fig. Bis sub stantially the same except that the osition and relatidnof the parts is reverser in orF der' to make it symmetrical. The top plate 9 of the desklis fastened tothe bodyof Vthe desk in the-following manner.

Fastenedto theV top of the rear panel plate v19 at suitable intervals are brackets 45 ,prof

jecting.inwa1' ily Similar bracketsycan be,l fastened in or t'o the legs in the front of the desk or ih any other convenient part-ofthe desk; At corresponding Vplaces in the top 9 blisters 46 are formed in thewell known manner `by swelling the'- metal by-j a. press or other sultable machine tool. This lister .46 isV of suoli, size and shape us. to

interference' therewith the vangles 28` are ipo have an openingbet'ween it `and thel s\1r` g' rounding metal of the plate-to take in one of the horizontal arms of the brackets l5. These. .openings in the blisters are all of nuiform sim as are the horizontal arms of the brackets. `When all the rest of thedesk has i been assembled thetop is attached thereto", byplacing onV it in. the appropriate openings the angles 45.- The top islthenv placed. on the desk.' Thesides of the deskadjacent. the blisters 46 arealppropriately perforated and Athe angles 45 iavethreaded openings' therein opposite said of the desk, so thatl screws may. be. passed the l outside, Athus se- ()r the top" may be connected to the desk'by 'first mountinethe angles'li permanently on d the .ton lmag'vmthen be. engaged therewith by `a slidin l having first "been lace on thedeskfa little to the' leftof'ite nal position as shownin'.

12,0 openings inthe `sides movement, the top i"ig. 4. In such case all the angles 45 must point in the same direction, so that the edgewise movement of the top. will bring all the' 4blisters Ainto locking en fagement 'with the sition by turning the lbutton 54which butin. any other suitable manner.

.shown in Fig. 4, If desired two or more of .these buttons maybe provided; one on ,each

ton is provided near the-edge ofthe top as side of the desk.

The recesses in the top plate 9 `above'referred tofas blisters, maybe provided for Separate stripsof metal bentto the proper shape may he attached to the plate by riveting,the :object being to fasten lugs or other similar brackets may i holding lthe top of the desk.

attachment to the 'plate'.4 wth which the engage for Vthe purpose of To prepare the desk for shipment,the top of the desk may be separated from the body l uected a spring 6 1. -The lower end' of this f shown in Figs-15u11 16, the platej'is in its lowest 'correspondingly smaller and the two sections may be detached from each 4other and from the 4rear panel, after which the two endsectins maybe laced end to end with the rear panel and t etop of the desk placed alongside of--thern, in. 'which position they- 4ma be conveniently erated -into acorn ariitlvely small crate, making the size an weight of thepackgge or shipment.. In; .15, 16 'and '17 I have shown-an' improved devicefonlocking the drawers of, the desk afterthey have been placed in position. 0n the end of each drawer in each section egcept the top' drawer is placed av locking dog 55. This locking dog has a heveledfend as shown'in Figml, and* ata point intermediatev between the bevel and thefrear end" of the'drawer it is provided with a recess 56. This locking dog `5 5 ma he most conveniently formed. by extending the channel 35 on onesde o? the drawer be vond the end of the'drawer and'shaping it in the. manner abovedescribed. Y

Fastenedto 'the top .bf the desk in ah snitablemanner is the bracket 57 on which at 58 isf-pivoted the lever 59, At Aits-left hand end, as 4shown in Fig. 15; thislev'er 59 ciirriesa stud L60 to which turn is con- 'sp'ring connectsto a stud 62 mounted on. a slidingplate 63. This plate -63 has formed therein the slots 65, which engage with -thestudfs 64., 64 mounted on` the verticall angle 3l. ".lhisplate-has cut. therein'the recesses. or holes 66,-. one for each of the dogs- 55; When the -parts are 'in the position.

vpositionsnd th e" drawers of sthe 'desk with their ldogs 55' are free tolnove in and out, the dogs 55 moving freely-through and lock the drawers below it.

Laanpei drawer may be locked in the desk by my l suitable key and lock; so that the locki of the top drawer controls and holds lock all of the other drawers in the desk below it.

A spring 61 is provided between the lplate 63 and the lever 59 .to make it possib eto insert any'of the lower drawers of the desk after the'top drawer has been locked .in position. The-' in faces on the dogs 55 at the rear of s j; rawers strikes against the lower edge 0 tv l ning 66 in the plate 63 and forces the at down until the cam fac vof the dog 55' c. rs the openng'and the drawer passes in to/.itsproper position, after which the platei i133' 'is again' free to rise, being drawn up b v the spring 61v draw* ing the solid part of the plateGB 'into the recess I56 and locking thczszflwerin position.

of the desk will be assembled in 'like manner and the two sections will be connected by the rear panel 19. The platel 52 can have I will now describe hony the desk is as-` assembled thereon the angle 33 by means of i a'suitable interlocking; joint. ask heretofore described, and the plate 52 can then be placed in position. The frame consisting of the angles 33 and Mend the upri ht angles 31,'3'1 cathen be assembled by s 1d- 'ing their interlocking` joints together at thecorners and 'closing the joints by any. suitable press. The frame can then bev placed in the section of the desk and connected to `the .front legs b v thechannels 29,' Q9. After beingso placed in position theangle 33 can beefastened tothe plate 52 by assmg screws ,np through tle plate into the t rended ings in 'the channel provided therefor.

the openings 66.; Whonhowever, the plete 'dneed-.mdl-l1- pass through suitable Olii" e v sections of tliedesk are fastened together at thfront bythe erorail 80 which has re.

46 inside panels.

' ppenings in the top of the legs 5 and 6 and oulders that bear against the outsideV of the legs. The reduced ends are locked to the legs bly; pins v82,82 that are passed down throught em similar to pin 27 that passes through the shoulders 25.` The top of the desk can then be fastened in place in thel manner above described. lThe plate 52 is y made of thin sheet metal and is very ilexible, which permits the rear end of it to` be sprung up,when the rear panel 19 with its flan e 53 must be inserted or removed. To faci itate the removal or insertion of this panel 191tlie 4two sections of the desk may be .15 placed slightly radial to each other which `e more ready disengagement of ,the flange 53 from the plate` l52 or the permits t panel 22.

Having thus described Vmy invention, what `2() I claim as new and patentable is as. follows 1. In a sheet metal desk, the combination with a pair of tubular rear legs, of a rear anel intel-locking with both legs and hav h ing an outwardly-turned flange alon its up- 26 per edge and an inwardly-turne flange along its lower edge,v .two pairs of tubular front legs, outsidefpanels each interlockin with one of the rear legs and with one o the front legs of each pair,` said outside 30 panels having inwardly-turned flanges alon their vlower edges and outwardly-tame flanges along theii upper edges, inside panels interlocking at their front ends with the other members of the two pair of front 88 legs, having flanges at their rear edges abutting the rear panel and inwardly-turned flanges along 'their lower ed es, drawer strike bars connecting the mem ers of each pair' of front legs, bottom plates resting on 40-the inwardly-tamed flanges at the lower edges of the back panel, the outside panels and the inside panels, and a top resting y, upon the lian es along the upper edges of Athe back pane the outside panels and the 2. Ir fui-friture the Combination with a tuhulai leg formed from sheet metal with an inwardlyturned flange provided with` a lui'ality off" openings, of a panel' having 5D ugs struck up from one face thereof, Within the edges of said panel, the lugs extending arallel. with the panel and the openings lleing of a size to permit the lugs to lie within the same without interlocking with `the tubular leg and to interlock with the tubular leg by a movement of the panel in its plane, the face of the panel hearing about the lug against `the flat surface on the flange duringsuch interlocking.

3. In furniture, the'coinbination with ahollow support having an inwardly-turned flange provided with openings, of a panel abutting said flange, and provided with lugs struck up from" one face thereof withinthe edges of the panel to enter the openings in ing out away to provide an opening, an

" with one face ofl said flange,and having a i the flange in order to interlock with theilat- .;ter, the adjacent edge vof the panel being provided with a laterally extending flange,

" ther free edge of which Iahutsithe inner wall of' the hollow support.

` JIn furniture,l the` combination with a hollow support having an` inwardly-turned flange,v of a panel abutting one faee of saidE flange and having a flange at its adjacent edge turned to engage the free edge of the support-flange and the inner wall of` the support, thewface of thepanel which abuts `the flange having means interhxrking ywith the abutting face of said fiange`whenthe panel is moved in its plane. 80 5. In furniture, the combination with a p hollow leg `formed from sheet metal into Y rectangular forni, one corner ofthe leg being cut away to provide an' opening, and the opposite sides of the opening being formed with inwardlyturned flanges at right langlesto each other and parallel to two walls of the leg, of two .panels arranged at right angles to each other and each `abutting one ofl the flanges, the flanges bein irovided with openings and the panels eac eing provided with lugs struck up therefrom within its edges to pass through said openings and to interlock @with the flanges when the panelsare moved in their planes. Agg

6. In furniture, the combination with 'a hollow leg formed from sheet metal into' rectangular form, one corner of the leg'bayhollow leg formed from sheet metal with a4 vertical recess, of a drawer guide having its forward end coperating with the outer face of theleg and provided with a finger struck up from the metal thereof and projecting therefrom from a point in rear of the forward edge and parallel with the guide to cooperate with-the inner face of-the leg, the forward end of the tongue being in rear of the forward end of the uide.

S. In furniture, the com ination with` a hollow support having an.,inwardlyturned flange, of a .panel abutting and interlocking lateral flange at its edge turned to engage the free edge of lthe support flange, the free 4 edge vol the ligure] flange engaging the inner wall of the suppo'rt.

9. In furniture, a tubular leg provided with a vertical slot, 'me wall of which isv130 provided vvitlirecesses, of drawer supports having 'portions at their forward ends engaging in said recesses to prevent vertical.

' movement of the drawersu ports and pro- I edges of which are bent together in direct abutment in oneA part of said leg, and the vided with meansfor detac ably en aging :in interior face of said leg to hod the drawer su portsto the leg.

10. In urniture, the combination with a side. panel, of a'front su port made from sheet metal into tubular ormwith a vertical recess and having theside anel interlocked therewith on one side o 'the recess, and a drawer ide interlocking'at its forward end witguthe vfrontaupporton the other side of the recess'. i

11. A leg for furniture composed of a.l single sheet of metal, the edges of which'are bent to ther indirect abutment in one f art of said eg, and the edges of which are nt inwardly inl saidleg atri ht angles to each other in another part of e leg.'

12. Thecombinationin furniture of a leg composed of a Isingle sheet of metal, the

edges of 'which are'nent inwardly in another part of said leg atv right angles to each i `terlocking with sai other, formin sides or beann surfaces thereon parel el to the sides o the dk, perforations in said -sides, panels fitti, against said sides and having 1u form thereon, said lugs assing throng and ind) slots.

13. The combination in. furniture of a sheet metal le havin one of'its edges bent inwardly with inter ocking yslot/s formed therein, and channe ed drawer guidescom 'ears positive Y connecting said egs and formed of sheetV metalinto U-shape in cross section 'having bearing against' the legsand therednd ends passing through the o in the shoulders and reduced'enda,` theshoulders 7` legs and being provided wit orations,

and a rod Vin each passing through the rforations of a plurality of said=strike ars. 15. The combination in furniture of upf` right angular sup orts havingnecting pairs of said angled supports-and fitting into said-recesses, each of said guidesy having lugs formed thereon, between vvliicl'ihf.l A 4and said guides said angled supports are embraced. o M v f 'f 16. In furniture, -a tubular leg havingfa vertical rrecess, a anel interlocking-with said leg on one "si drawer guide interlocking with said/,leg on the other side of the recess. i;

In testimony whereof I aix. my sig'nature in presence of two witnesses;

' ENocH oHNsTR'ANn.

Witnesses:

" T. Humm: Lmnseno, -Raivnm A. Nxouoxis.

e of the anda 'Bag 

